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I drove a Abarth Fiat 124 Spider

PranK

By PranK,
in General Automotive Discussion

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PranK Grand Master

PranK

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I drove a Abarth Fiat 124 Spider

So, my colleague at work this week had a demo Abarth Fiat 124 Spider for the week. Number 1 of 100, I took it for a little spin this morning.

It's hard to get a proper feel for these cars I get to drive as most of the time I am limited to just driving around Pyrmont and can't give them a proper test.

I also wasn't able to get any photos this time. :(

Thanks to NetCarShow.com for the pics.

large.Fiat-124_Spider_Abarth-2017-1280-0

The first thing I can tell you is that it wasn't made for 6'5" 110kg people. I almost had to shoe-horn myself into the driver's seat and then my leg was so significantly wedged in under the dash that I couldn't stop thinking about how much it hurt. It also really hindered my ability to use the clutch. 

So, it was immediately clear to me that even if I wanted to buy one, I simply couldn't. I did put the roof up to see how much of my head would need removing, but alas, this was fine with a good finger's width between my hair and the roof. 

The interior was very nice, but I did feel like I was in a new Mazda3. The dials and buttons and materials were all top notch, but not Italian. The indicator was also on the right, not left like a proper European car. But, that's a bit of a nit-pick from a European car lover.

large.Fiat-124_Spider_Abarth-2017-1280-0

Remembering that this is just an MX5 in a new jacket, I tried hard to see it as an Italian roadster. That was hard as the interior didn't have any Italian feel to it, besides the red stitching on the dash and the red 'ABARTH' branded seats (which would be really nice for anybody who could fit in them.)

I didn't know what engine was in it before I drove it and assumed it was one of Mazda's 1.5 or 2.0 offerings. I was a little underwhelmed with the performance and found very little down low and it was quickly out of puff up top. Meaning, it had a nice mid range and if you can keep it in that range with the 6 speed it would be awesome. It sounded quite tinny though with the odd bauble here and there.

When I gave it back and had a read about it, I found out that it is actually a turbo 1.4. That's very impressive because it definitely behaved like a bigger engine and the lack of torque made more sense to me after that. But, I do not think that the engine fits the car. It needs more, it needs a bigger range, it needs more top end and i also think that 6 cogs for a 1.4 are a little much. 

Note that mine was obviously a right hand drive. :)

large.Fiat-124_Spider_Abarth-2017-1280-1

Handling was great. Turn in felt a little like a Honda Integra Type R like it was a capable front-wheel-drive bordering on understeer. As it is a rear wheel drive, I didn't want to push and see what happened so I kept it sane. I was in Pyrmont, remember. 

I must admit that this little car got as much attention as the Porsche GT4 I drove the other week.

All in all, very fun. I can't see how anybody could survive with this as their daily. The complete lack of interior storage, space and back seats would render this car entirely useless to most full-sized people.

Would you pick this over an MX5?

Some comparison;

Mazda MX5 1.5L: From $42k, 96kw / 150nm
Mazda MX5 2.0L: From $44k, 118 / 200nm
Fiat Spider: From $44k, 125kw / 250nm, 0-100 6.8s.

More pics in the Album.

 

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Steve85 Mentor

Steve85

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I love the little Fiat 500, but this... no. MX5 all the way for me! 

So you said you were quite tall (me too), where were your eyes? I find I tend to be looking at the top of the windscreen...

 

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PranK Grand Master

PranK

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1 minute ago, Steve85 said:

I love the little Fiat 500, but this... no. MX5 all the way for me! 

So you said you were quite tall (me too), where were your eyes? I find I tend to be looking at the top of the windscreen...

 

The rearview mirror and top of the windscreen were right in the middle of my gaze. I had to drop my head a little when driving or A LOT when turning left (as the mirror took my entire view).

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Steve85 Mentor

Steve85

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The rearview mirror and top of the windscreen were right in the middle of my gaze. I had to drop my head a little when driving or A LOT when turning left (as the mirror took my entire view).

Haha! THIS. All the time! 

Sometimes after more than 30 minutes, my neck and back get kinda sore. That said, I bought a Ford Falcon (BA) and it doesn't have much headroom. Thanks a lot sunroof!

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Kinkstaah Grand Master

Kinkstaah

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They look way, way, way, way better in person than they do in photos too. And of course sound nuts with a decent exhaust.


Just add a bit of boost and job done. Maybe coils blablabla.

As for ftting, seriously never understood that. I am 187cm, and I fit perfectly fine in a NB which is supposedly the worst to fit in. Can only attribute it to people not knowing how to adjust a seat or I have abnormally long legs. My 198cm friend fits in the same MX5 as well. Just have to lean the sit back a bit and boom, feels more sporty to boot.

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Steve85 Mentor

Steve85

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@Kinkstaah, i can tell you, i'm 2m tall and I like to sit bolt upright in a car. I absolutely cannot stand to be leaning back VL style (or whatever we're calling it now).

In most cars I find the seat goes back far enough, but I run out of head room. So maybe my torso is abnormally long? lol

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Kinkstaah Grand Master

Kinkstaah

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There are obviously some scenarios (like above) where combination of being super tall and super upright will cause an issue. One probably fixed with a custom seat. There's just a LOT of people out there who are... 6ft or thereabouts saying "THERES JUST NO WAY I CAN FIT IN, ITS LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO DO!!!!!" which isn't really true, one should probably try and sit in one of them first.

I don't consider myself tall, but I get a ton of people who are literally amazed I can fit in one, results in me scratching my head a lot!

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Leroy Peterson Grand Master

Leroy Peterson

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would take this over MX5. Japanese build quality but with euro re-sale! how could you say no? 

but serious, im not one that wants a turbo on anything, but i'd want this because MX5 dont got no turbo. theyre both good looking cars (so rare for this era)

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